India names envoys to Germany, Bhutan

New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) The government Monday named Sudhir Vyas as India’s next ambassador to Germany, an official statement said. “Sudhir Vyas, currently ambassador to Bhutan, has been appointed the next envoy to Germany. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly,” the external affairs ministry said in a terse announcement.

Vyas will take over as India’s envoy in Berlin from Meera Shankar, who is likely to be named ambassador to the US. The tenure of Ronen Sen, who is New Delhi’s envoy in Washington, ends March 31.

Vyas will be succeeded in Bhutan by Pavan K. Varma, the director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The government was keen to appoint Vyas as high commissioner to Pakistan but Islamabad did not agree to it.

Vyas, who had earlier served as deputy high commissioner to Islamabad, was declared persona non grata by Pakistan in 2003 after India expelled then acting Pakistani high commissioner Jalil Abbas Jilani for allegedly aiding Kashmiri separatists.

Subsequently, the government zeroed in on Sharat Sabharwal, special secretary in the external affairs ministry, for this prestigious diplomatic posting.

The government has already sent an agreema, a diplomatic request for the appointment of a new envoy, to the Pakistan government.

If Islamabad agrees, Sabharwal will take over from Satyabrata Pal, who has come back to India, after his tenure in Islamabad ended Feb 28.